Marine Corps COOL Snapshot - Certified Construction Specifier (CCS)

Certified Construction Specifier (CCS)

Renewal Period: 3 years

The Construction Specifications Institute (CSI), Certified Construction Specifier (CCS) is an intermediate-level certification. The CCS allows candidates to demonstrate their knowledge of contractual relationships, document organization, and document preparation. A CCS is an individual who is able to administer a contract for construction according to CSI guidelines. The candidate would have an understanding of agreements, conditions of a contract, Division 01, as well as researching and sourcing products. To earn a CCS certification, candidates must have experience in the field and be able to pass an exam.

More information can be found on the certifying agency's website.

Certified Construction Specifier (CCS)

The following Marine Corps Enlisted MOSs provide training and/or experience that contributes to attaining this credential:

Enlisted Occupation	Occupation Type	Related As
1361 Engineer Assistant	MOS	Other
1371 Combat Engineer	MOS	Other
1812 Armor Marine	MOS	Other
1833 Assault Amphibious Vehicle (AAV) Crewmember	MOS	Other
1869 Senior Armor SNCO	MOS	Other

The following civilian occupations are related to this credential:

	Civilian Job	Job Family	Bright Outlook	Registered Apprenticeship	Local Salary Info
	Construction Managers	Management	Bright Outlook		find local salary

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Attainability:

Eligibility Requirements (View Details)

Credential Prerequisite
Experience: 5 years
Education: High School Diploma/GED
Training
Membership
Other
Fee

Note: This credential may have multiple options for a Service member to meet eligibility requirements. Requirements listed here are based on the minimum degree required. To view other options, see the Eligibility tab.

Exam Requirements (View Details)

Exam
Written Exam
Oral Exam
Practical Exam
Performance Assessment

Exam Administration (View Details)

In-person exam
Remote proctored on-line exam
Third-party test vendor

RECERTIFICATION SUMMARY

Renewal Period: 3 years

Continuing Education
Exam
Continuing Education OR Exam
Fee
Other

AGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION

Construction Specifications Institute (CSI)

110 South Union Street
Suite 100
Alexandria, VA 22314-3351

Phone: (800) 689-2900

Fax: (703) 236-4600
Email: csi@csinet.org

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Experience REQUIREMENTS

Candidates must have the following experience:

Candidates with a CDT must have a minimum of two (2) years’ experience in the preparation and coordination of specifications actually used in construction.
OR
Candidates with no CDT, must have a minimum of five (5) years’ experience in the preparation and coordination of specifications actually used in construction attested to by two people experienced in the field.

Other REQUIREMENTS

The Certified Construction Specifier (CCS) credential has the following other requirements:

Candidates must have prepared or coordinated either Division 00 – Procurement and Contracting Requirements or Division 01- General Requirements.

Written Exam

Domain 1: Coordination (15%)
- Collect, track, coordinate information
- Coordinate A/E team proposed choices with project brief from client
- Direct and coordinate consultant’s input into content of PPD
- Coordinate product information with Project Team
- Obtain Owner bid forms, contract forms and documents
- Coordinate Owner-provided procurement and contract documents
- Coordinate Division 01 items among disciplines
- Coordinate submittal process
- Coordinate substitution processes
- Coordinate sustainable design and construction requirements
- Coordinate selected products with the use of other products
- Coordinate installation procedures with the particular conditions of the project
- Coordinate RFI review
- Coordinate the documents of the interdisciplinary team members
- Perform interdisciplinary review
- Coordinate consultant files to compile the Project Manual for submission
- Coordinate project manual deliverables
- Maintain version control of specifications including those edited by others
- Collect and coordinate information for addenda
Domain 2: Planning/Development/Organization (5%)
- Evaluate scope of program and coordinate into SD process
- Develop and maintain a Product Notebook of systems, products, and materials being proposed for use on the project
- Determine project’s measurement and payment approach
- Develop tracking tools for logging information, changes, revisions, and questions
- Develop tracking system for questions, substitutions and related bidding items
- Track and document project closeout items
Domain 3: Research (5%)
- Conduct research on materials and systems for product selection
- Research sourcing, availability, and lead time for selected products
- Research applicable legal requirements to develop of specifications
- Evaluate product performance for project conditions
Domain 4: Analysis and Evaluation (35%)
- Identify project delivery method and schedule
- Evaluate program to coordinate future needs, expansion, and impacts of changing technologies
- Review program process and suggest strategies to identify potential building systems
- Analyze systems and assemblies being propose for the project
- Consult with the program team on appropriateness of systems, assemblies, and materials being considered or implied by the project requirements
- Analyze drawings for primary building systems, assemblies, and material configurations
- Evaluate products for code requirements
- Assess climate information for impact on materials and methods
- Evaluate products and systems for constructability in project locale
- Evaluate project sustainable design criteria with propose project systems and assemblies
- Evaluate and select products for compliance with design intent
- Obtain and evaluate standards and information from technical and professional
- Review references standards, i.e. ASTM standards, for appropriateness
- Verify that necessary reference standards options have been selected
- Discuss product selection with Product Representatives
- Review cost estimatesfor coordination issues
- Participate in value engineering process
- Evaluate the acceptability of substitution request submittal
Domain 5: Production (40%)
- Organize project documents according to CSI Formats
- Develop Preliminary Descriptions (PPD), outline specification, and project manuals
- Integrated design narratives into specification development process (UniFormat to MasterFormat)
- Translate graphic information presented in drawings into succinct written form
- Assist in the development of procurement and contracting requirements
- Incorporate project-specific requirementsinto Division 01 sections
- Prepare or edit measurement payment descriptions, when required
- Determine means of (resource for) quality control and quality assurance
- Determine what submittals are required to ensure quality installation and adequate project documentation (i.e. record documents)
- Document sustainable design and construction procedures into specifications
- Determine preparatory and finishing requirementsfor the product
- Prepare and edit specifications sections and compile, review, and edit specification sections written by others
- Prepare addenda
- Prepare documents for printing and archive electronic files
- Develop and maintain Office master guide specifications

Exam Preparation Resources

There are a number of resources available to help you prepare for the Certified Construction Specifier (CCS) examination:

Best Sources

An additional resource is O'Reilly Learning Safari Books Online, a searchable digital library that provides online access to thousands of books, training videos and conference sessions. See the Educational Resources section on the Related Sites page here on COOL to learn how to get free access.

Testing Information

Exam Administration
Credential exams may be administered in-person at a testing site, proctored on-line remotely, or have options for both. If an exam is administered through a test vendor, the third-party test vendor box will be checked. The following test administration options apply to the Certified Construction Specifier (CCS) credential where checked:
- In-person exam
- Remote proctored on-line exam
- Third-party test vendor

For more information on the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) testing process, visit the agency website.

Third-Party Test Vendor Information
Testing for this credential is handled by the following vendor:

Prometric

The test centers are located in the U.S.

To find out more, use the following links on the Prometric website:

RECERTIFICATION

Certified Construction Specifier (CCS)

Renewal Period: 3 years

The Certified Construction Specifier (CCS) credential has the following recertification information:

The CCS is renewable every three years. Certification holders must complete 24 continuing education credit hours, complete a renewal application, and pay a fee.

Note: Marine Corps COOL will only pay recertification fees for the current year, no arrears will be paid. Voucher requests for recertification fees must be submitted with proof of the current status of the certification (for example, a screen shot of your credentialing agency dashboard or a copy of a current fee receipt).